If you want to make sure you hold onto your teeth as you get older, there's an important mineral you should know about. And no, it's not calcium or magnesium.

The mineral I'm talking about is vanadium. You may have heard about taking vanadium for diabetes. But you probably haven't heard much more about it. That's because it just doesn't come up on the radar screen of most doctors.

Vanadium is a micromineral, meaning that the body requires it only in very small doses. Your entire body contains about 100 mcg of vanadium. That's not very much.

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But just because you don't need very much, doesn't mean it's not important. Vanadium is an essential mineral. Unfortunately, you won't find it in most multivitamins - and our diets rarely contain enough. So most people have a deficiency. And one of the biggest effects of a vanadium deficiency is loose teeth.

You'll find most vanadium in your bones. It tends to concentrate there, which makes the bones surrounding your teeth stronger. That, in turn, holds the teeth tightly in their sockets. If you don't have enough vanadium, these bones can't hold onto the teeth as well. This is why taking extra vanadium is crucial if you want to keep your teeth.

But you have to be a little careful about taking vanadium (or any other micromineral for that matter). Since you need only a small amount, it's easy to take too much. And that can cause toxicity. That's why many experts recommend getting vanadium from your diet.

The foods highest in vanadium are buckwheat (about 30 mcg per ounce), parsley (about 25 mcg per ounce), oats (about 10 mcg per ounce), and eggs (about 13 mcg per ounce). Unfortunately, most people don't eat enough of these foods to get the vanadium they need. Indeed, studies show that the average person gets between 10 and 60 mcg each day, while the optimum amount is more like 25 to 100 mcg.

The solution, of course, is to take a vanadium supplement. You can find an easy-to-take form of vanadium in your health food store. A 50 mg capsule of vanadium sulfate contains 10 mg of pure vanadium. Since only about 1% of dietary vanadium actually gets absorbed, taking 10 mg will get you 1/10th of a mg - 100 mcg - into your body. This is the total amount of vanadium you should have in your body. So don't take it too often. About once a week is a great way to ensure that your teeth stay right where they belong.